Acts 20:19 Meaning and Explanation
“Serving the LORD with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Paul describes his years in Ephesus as bondservice to the Lord, rendered with deep humility, with many tears, and under trials from those who plotted against him.
What Does Acts 20:19 Mean?
Paul sums up three years in three marks: humility, tears, and trials. He served as a slave serves a master — the Lord's own, not his own man — and he did it lowly in mind, often weeping, and under the constant shadow of ambush.
This is greatness as the kingdom measures it: "whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant" (Matt 20:27). The tears were not weakness but love's overflow, and the trials were not God's absence but fellowship with a Lord who also wept and was plotted against. To serve Christ with a lowly mind is the highest work a soul can do.
Acts 20:19 in the Original Language
tapeinophrosyne (ταπεινοφροσύνη), 'humility of mind' -- lowliness of mind, the humble bent of a servant.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 20:19
What does Acts 20:19 mean?
Paul describes his years in Ephesus as bondservice to the Lord, rendered with deep humility, with many tears, and under trials from those who plotted against him.